Burial apparatus



I April 22, 1930. c, w, BAKER 1,755,170

3 Sheets-Sheet l April 22, 19 30. I c, w, BAKER 1,755,170

BURIAL APPARATUS Filed Jan. 28, 1928 Y s Sheet-Sheet 2 r I I 4 g f [i211 Jamaal} Czar/021V. V

lwome April 22, 1930. c. w. BAKER BURIAL APYPARATUS Filed Jan. 28, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 9 4 fl v a! 6 5 .1 D 6 7 a 5 .9 u w w I 4 4. 0 a 1% J h M llll aw i hnunfi HHHL H I. H llllln rl l u. wm MO 0 5 4, M B 4 .r 7 4 thetwo end beams is'fsupported by two leg[' Patented Apr. 22,1930

' crrnnnnsw; BAKER, oF-LA ncHenLEs rnnnivrrssonnr U IAI. APPARATUS App1i cation fi1ed January 28, 1928. Seria1-No."250,206.

g y burial apparatus and one of its objects'is to prov idea secure and level platform overan open grave toflmake the grave more accessi- I 5 ble; asecond Object is that of securing a-sub- 'stantially level supporting means for amegrave. A further 'objectisfthe provision of" a coflin-lowering apparatushaving grave covl5 erings both to conceal the mouth'of thegrave' beforethe introductionof the boxed casket.

' i the mouth of the into the grave, and to ,cover grave as the boxed casket is loweredbeneath the planeof the mouth of the grave.

modate graves of difierent widthsr Each of members also composedio'f angle irons form-3 I embodying my invention.

ing corner columns or legs. These legs are arranged so cated and this i's' ac'complished by letting them project into the grave whereby the leveling the legs'laterally. "A spreader is placed under each of the beams above mentioned and at ground level. Thesespreaders act as the supporting connection with the ground and'it is convenient'to provide'f0otings of timber such inany conven e t manner. In order to assure connectinglblock for the junctions of the invention relates to improvements in:

by two pairs of sheets In order 'toiac'complish my objects I provide two scaffold elements'k'olt adjustable length which border the "lonfg' sides of the grave.

'I hese-I sup ormn end beams consisting, of angle ironsslidably' arranged so asto accom- I that'the effective lengthof'each 30 may be. varied to'suit slo'pes or irregularitiesof vthe ground surface where the "grave is 10-;

desired height and to hold them secureagain'st the'si'des of the grave I provide two spreader-s which are arranged to spread" as the battensshown' which may be disposed p v anus and the legs. These block'sare recessed tria ns-lam. imemei i i'f ee whenthe engagement screw is tightened but 7 to afford a revoluble connection when this screw is loosened, whereby the beam and legs may beswung into right line and-thus occupy a ininimum of space when not in use. I

The covering of he grave opening at two successive stages of the intermentisfeflected of artificial grass fab-- ric', successively operated to conceal themouth 1 r of thegrave before the'introductio'rl 'bli the 1 boxed'casket, and at the stage when said casket hasjbeen lowered to-a point beneath the plane; of the mouth of the grave. k I; 'A'notherlobj ectof my invention is to-mount the covering: apparatus within the casketlowe-i 'ering apparatus. in order that the grave not need any special excavation for the pu v pose of accommodating'the overi 7 ratus. My entire apparatus i e d.

and' operated upon a grave prepared'in the ordlnary manner, and with the ordinary dis mensions," and without any special excavation for the purpose-of accommodating any part of my apparatus. r

' v w I Dm'wmgs' v V H Fig. 1 is a perspective view "of an apparatus .Fig. 2 is'a' side'elevation oflmy' leveiirigfi device set upon sloping ground and 'l'eveledjf 0f In this view the spreaders are shown resting upon battens; I

Fig. 3 showsan end elevation or my level}; ing device; inthis view there is indicated in dotted lines my casket-lowering device.

Fig. tshows a detail of aclamp employed to connect and secure the two elements of the horizontal beams and provide 'adjustability I for diflerent'widths of graves, in my leveling device.

Fig; 5 shows a detail of a corner connection. 1 between the beams and legs ofmy leveling Fig, 6 is" another connection. I r a Fig; 7 'is acdetail'of the block Jconnecting' this same beam to theleg. 14- Figs; 8 and 9 form a broken new ofthe' spaeaeerer hiyleveling dGVlGQ" view of the same corner Figs. 10 and 11 form a broken view in elevation of the same spreader.

Fig. 12 shows one convenient form of batten.

Fig. 13 is a plan view of a levelingdevice embodying my invention.

Fig. 14 is a transverse mid-sectional view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, with a boxed casket in place before lowering into the grave, taken on the plane 1515 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 15 is a like view, the casketshown when lowered beneath the the grave. Figs. 16, 17 and 18 are detailed views of the trip mechanism employed in lowering the upper pair'of grass curtains.

- Descw'ptz'on As shown in the drawings, I employ two extensible scaffold members 'A A shown in plan in Fig. 14. Slides 11 serve to secure each of said elements'A in'alinement and in the desired extended position. The scafiold elements AA are secured together by means of the extensible end beams B,-B; each of said'bea'ms Bis supported on a pair of vertical legs C to whichthe beam B is removably attached by means of the bolt 12 and nut 1'3,'andthe clamp 18', said clamp 18 being so formed as to comprehend both the leg an'd'the beamea'ch within aconfining space (see'Figs. 5, 6 and 7). V

Each of thebeams B is composed of the two'angle irons 1415 which are adjustably secured together by means of the clamp 16.

and set screw 17, which clamp 16 is shown in detail in Fig. 4.

' Battens D of any convenient superficial;

form are laid uponthe ground in contact with the legs 0, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and

the spreaders E, at each endof the framework, rest upon or near the'upper surface of said battens D. 'Each of'said legs 0 has a vertical series of perforations 19, and each of said spreaders E has a pair of plungers 20-20 arranged to be seated insaid perforations 19. Said plungers 20 are operated by means of levers 21' fulcrumed at 22 to standards 23. Hooks 24, mounted as shown'in Figs. 8 and 9, provideslots 25 to engage said legs C and permitthespreader E to be located at the .desired' height by m'eans'of' its plungers 20.

As shown in Figs- 8, 9, 10 and 11, the spreader E is composed of the overlapping bars 26 and 27 secured together by the slides 28-28. Fig. 8 shows its plunger20 in closed position; Fig. 9 shows said plunger 20 and slot 25 in opened position. V The apparatus thus disclosed is adapted to the reception of a casket-lowering device F,

such as illustrated in dottedlines in Fig. 3

and which is to rest in approximately hori zontal position upon the scaffold members A-A. r

My described apparatus,as used upon and plane of the mouth of over a hillside grave, is illustrated in Fig. 2, showing how the approximately horizontal position of the scaffold members AA are secured under such conditions of surface inclination.

- The interment having been completed theapparatus, byreason of it's described detail construction, is reduced to its elements and the scaffold members AA are reduced to their shortest length by thetelescoping of each'of said members; allwith the result that the entire apparatus may be removed and stored within the smallest possible limitations of space. 1

To secure rigidity of the assembled frame I provide the bolt 30 which extends through the legC and through two of'the slats composing thesc'afiold member A andis held in place 'bythe winged nut 31;

The leveling apparatus thus described be-- ing in place about the mouth of a grave,a casket-lowering apparatus F comprising side rollers 40 and end rollers 41, geared together 1 at their meeting ends by the beveled gear 42,

and actuated by the crank handle 48, is deposited in place uponthe levelingapparatus as shown in Fig. 1. Lowering straps 44 are mounted upon the rollers 40-40, the straps 44receiving the casket G for the purpose oflowering into the grave, as'illustrated' in'Figs;

15 and 16. This lowering-apparatus is old 'in the artand constitutes but one element of my burial apparatus.

Mounted upon the scaffold members A.A,

at each'of the fourcorners of the-grave, I-

Two projecting humps In the open mouth ofthe tubular rod lot 49 I provide a T-bar'I having'the stem. '54

and cross bar 55 as shown in Fig. 18; the

stem' 54 is adjustably secured in place within the tubular rod 49"by means of'thethumb screw 56. Between eachpair of T-bars I is mounted'a telescopic rod 57 (see Fig. 1) The purpose of the telescopic rods57 is to hold a V 1 sheet of grass'fabrie J as shown in Fig. 1.

Hingedly'adaptedftothe flange 46 is' t-he bar 58,.attached to the fiange146 byrmeansjoff the bolt 59, which bolt 59 is mountedinthe perforation 60 in said flange 46 (see Figs. 17'

and 19) The flange-46 is provided with the humps 61-62 which engagewith the bar 58 tohold said bar 58 alternately in horizontal and depending vertical positions, as shown in 17 Between each pairgof the bars 58 a telescopic tubular rod 63 ismounte'dby means" 7 of angle irons 64 which are adj ustably mounted in the tubular bar "58 by means of thumb the scaffold members A- A, and secured thereon by tacks or other fastening members i i 66, the inner-edges of said sheets K extending over the rods 6363, and extending downwardly into the grave L as shown'in Fig. '15. I

. The casketGiis then placed in position'on lowering straps 4444 as shown in Fig. 15 and the'casket being lowered contacts with the tubular rods 68"63, depressing the same and forcing saidv rods 63-63 and the grass fabric sheetsKK carried thereby into the grave, in the mannershown'in Fig. 16;

The bar 581 and rod 49 are connected to- 'i gether by appropriateelastic and removablemechanism illustrated herein as the elastic linkM, which comprisesja cylinder 67 and rod 68 The cylinder 67is mountedon the I r bar 58 by meansof a ba'nd69. The rod68 is Y mounted through a perforated cap .70, which cap 70 is mounted on the free end of cylinder '67. At its lower end thero'd 68 is provided withahead ,71 sliding freely within cylin-j der 67. 'At itsuper end the rod16 8 is provided with anenlarged head 7 2, which head 72is adapted tofit into the aperture 73 formed in the wall ofthe tubular rod 49 (see Figs. 17- and 1 8). Between the-head 71 and the inner face of the cap 70,1 provide a coiled .spring 74: to render the link M measurably V V V elastic.

As the casket G descends from the position V nism comprising an upper two-part fabric cover holding frame; a lower two part fabric shown in Fig. '15to that shown in Fig. 16, as

the rods 6363 are depressed, they draw after them, by reason ofthe link M, the rods 49%9 and the grass fabric sheets ,J'J,

which immediately serve to form a coveringfor the mouth ofv the grave in the manner shown inFig. 1 6.

The interment having reached the stage where the casket. G is in place at the bottom' of the grave, the grassfsheets J-J are re-V moved and the rods 49 and. bars 58 are dis connected by the removal of the enlarged head 7 2 from theslot 73 permitting the disengagement of the link end.

The straps 4444 are disconnected at either or both ends fromthe rollers 40 and withdrawn from the grave L in the usual elasticity of the connection between the upper and lower fabric-holding frames enables the requiring no additional excavation of the being mounted within the casket-lowering T mechanism; the entire covering mechanism grave to accommodate it. Furthermore, the Y J upper frameto clearany height of casket cover holding frame; a lower two-part fabric 7 cover holding frame; an elasticand detach able connection betweensaid upper and lower :wherewith said covering apparatus may be' pfartsof my apparatus may be accomplished d g frames ;'and a casket-lowering apparatus arranged by the lowering of a casket to successively actuate said upper and lower holding" frames. 7 V v v2. In a burial apparatus a covering mechanism comprising an upper two-part fabric cover holding frame; a lower two-part fabric ,cover holdingfr'ame', each o'f said'frames" being adjustable as to length and width;'an Z elastic and detachable. connection between saidpupper and lower frames; and a casket lowering apparatus arranged by the lowering of a casket to successively actuate said upper and lower holdingframes. f

3. In a'burial apparatus a covering mechacover holding frame, each of said frames being adjustable as to length and width; an

elastic and detachable connection between said upper and'lower frames; and a casketing mechanism being mounted and operable within the casket-lowering apparatus.

In testimony whereof I- have hereunto.

aflixed my signature. V

CHARLESJW.BAKER.

manner. The entire apparatus is then in condition for removal.

.I am aware that various grave-covering devices have been employed in concealing the mouth of a grave during the process of interment; the novelty'of my apparatus resides, inter alia, in providing two two-parts sets (upper and lower) of fabric-cover holding" frames, adjustable as to the length and breadth of the grave; and an elastic andde- I tachable connection between said upper and lower frames the entire covering mechanism 

